One Man's Trash

Abigail and Caleb delivering the folded grocery bags

Last week at Metro Relief the volunteers were beginning to stress that they did not have enough plastic bags, you know the bags they use to sack your groceries.  When clients come through the pantry they check in with Ms. Ramona, they are then given a card to let volunteers know how many family members they are needing to feed.

 

If the client has a card saying 3-5, one of the volunteers would direct them to the breakfast items, the client could select 3 items. Next they would proceed to the canned food, from there they could select 5 items.  The next section would be pastas, beans etc. where they could also select 5 items.  Any fresh fruit or vegetables will be prepackaged for the clients.  Last this client would be permitted to select one bread item and one dessert.  There are also limited toiletries available to clients. 

 

When the client has finished shopping all of the groceries are bagged up and the kids would help the clients to their car.  This is where the bags come in, when you think the pantry assists 50+ families on Mondays and Wednesdays each with six or so bags it is easy to run through several hundred bags per week. 

 

This week we went to Staples to ask if they would donate their used recyclable bags to Metro Relief.  They were very generous and gave us a huge black trash bag full of used bags.  This week Frankie and Abigail went through the bags sorting out any with holes etc. and folded some 500+ bags. We were able to bring in Staples gift when we went in to volunteer.  They were very appreciative and Staples was fabulous that we could check in with them next month for more bags!

 

Fools fold their hands
    and ruin themselves.
Better one handful with tranquillity
    than two handfuls with toil
    and chasing after the wind.

Ecclesiastes 4:5-6